In purchasing a mascara, a customer may, for example, receive counseling from a salesperson at a shop in deciding which mascara to purchase (the so-called face-to-face selection). In this case, the salesperson makes inquires into an eyelash state the customer wishes to realize, and selects a suitable mascara in accordance with the desire of the customer.
It is noted that usage of a mascara is greatly influenced by the original state of eyelashes (e.g., thick lashes, thin lashes, long lashes, short lashes, etc.). Thus, the salesperson may not be able to accurately select a mascara that brings satisfaction to the customer if the salesperson cannot accurately determine the original eyelash state of the customer. It is particularly noted that prioritizing the preference of the customer in selecting a mascara does not necessarily lead to an effective selection of a mascara that can bring satisfaction to the customer.
However, the act of examining the eyelash state of a customer has not conventionally been practiced, and thus, selection of a mascara with due consideration for the eyelash state of the customer has not been performed. Therefore, an accurate selection of a mascara could not be performed and it has not always been possible to successfully select a mascara that can bring satisfaction to the customer.
Also, in selecting a mascara for a customer based on the original eyelash state of the customer and the preference of the customer, it may be difficult for the salesperson to memorize the characteristic features of all of the mascaras. Further, although a manual indicating the characteristic features of the mascaras exists, selecting a mascara by referring to the manual may be troublesome and the selection cannot be performed swiftly.